I would suggest for anyone interested that fashion week is always a relevant time to contact agencies for unpaid work. Especially if you're looking to gain direct knowledge and experience during one of their busier periods. The one thing i would emphasize on is that agencies will demand and pay attention to flexibility. From personal experience, you have to ensure your prepared and available when and where they need you which could be at morning from 9am for meetings or as early on the job as 6am til 11pm for model castings, fittings and show/after show assistance etc. I have been offered fashion week jobs with agencies that entail one on one work with models, some of which are incredibly young and unfamiliar with their way around the city and unfluent with the language. It's a good opportunity to start off with and a great insight to how rapid the industry can coordinate.

Has anyone been successful getting unpaid work experience at an agency in Australia? I've contacted the majority - major players and boutiques - in Melbourne and Sydney, and not one so far has said they'll take university students.

Contacts and potential clients ... would be first. If you don't have a way to get your models into casting calls to be seen then there is not point in repping any models.

And money (perhaps a backer?) .... because you need to pay a staff, equipment, office space, etc.

Insurance. Also, the appropriate licenses ... so you need to look into that ... you may have to post a bond. For example of weird bureaucracy in action .. in NY State, they are very, very restrictive. An "agency" cannot charge the usual fees because they are considered an employment agency ... so to get around that, the agencies must become "management" companies so they can charge models the usual 20% of any jobs you book for them.

I don't know where you're based but depending on the area there may be no decent photographers around - Therefore, contacts to other agencies who could represent your model(s) in rather well elaborated areas (The 4 main markets, Athens, Singapore, Japan, Hamburg... maybe Istanbul) are very important as well cause your booking power will be close to zero when you come out of the blue with your agency, and these agencies are the ones who can wangle superb testing imagery, book jobs etc. Also, they can be helpful when it comes to paperwork (residence premits, visa etc)
As for renting office space. I know some top agents who operate their business without staff etc from their living rooms (Mother Model, Specimen Management etc) - It's definitely a more favourable alternative and you can minimize the financial risk.
Other than that: Licenses, models themselves for sure and a good camera

Well your resume should have all your diplomas mentionned.. your work experience if you have some.
Your cover letter basically is what will make you stand out from the others, so show your motivation and your interest in their agency etc...

Good luck to you!

I'm thinking about doing an internship here in Paris myself, let's see if any agency replies.

I would like to work (unpaid work) in an agency during Paris Fashion Week or like dressing the models backstages at the shows. Has anyone already done this? Could you give me some advices? (who I should contact etc..)
Thank you very much in advance

Yo u would not work for the agencies at Fashion Week. You would work for either the designers or the people who are putting on the show. For information about volunteering (they don't pay, it's a voluntary gig), here's the thread ... there's a lot of good information there about how to get in: Volunteering for Fashion Week Shows